And then there were four — and more comments from anxious residents who don’t want to wait any longer to swim.

The Russellville City Council’s Pool Committee whittled down possible locations for an aquatic center during its meeting Tuesday at City Hall.

But not before residents, including Alderwoman Freddie Harris, made their feelings known about building an aquatic center as soon as possible.

Aldermen Harris, Spencer Roberts, Mark Tripp and Randall Horton discussed the areas, and the committee will start obtaining site-specific information before its next meeting at 5:30 p.m. July 16.

The four areas to be studied further may include more than four specific sites, Tripp pointed out. The areas include:

• West Parkway Drive;

• East 16th Street;

• North El Paso Avenue;

• An area near The Landing civic center.

Mayor Bill Eaton pointed out he wasn’t sure if the land at the West Parkway and Phoenix site was available, but would check further into “some kind of unusual lien on the property.”

Tripp also mentioned the City Park/Vick Field area, but that site was later debated because of the lack of future expansion. He also mentioned his favorite area was on Reasoner Lane near the Arkansas Tech University campus.

Among the areas tossed out by the committee were Russell Road, West Main Street, West C Street and Fairway Boulevard.

“The City Park site — it would kinda be like putting a square peg in a round hole. It just seems like we’ll have to do a lot of moving around,” Roberts said. “I do like the idea that we already own property (there, however).

“I want to figure out a way to get some public input. Where do the citizens want this? We need to get feedback from everybody. Every site we’re talking about has merit. We need to do our best diligence to put it in the best place available.”

When asked for comments from members of the audience who attended Tuesday’s meeting, committee members got feedback — and then some.

“This has been referred to as a destination point, and that is not the right course of action,” Steve Newby explained. “You’re going to get some push back on that, because folks won’t want to leave their kids at a hotel facility or near one.

“Once again, going back to the folks of Russellville. It’s not just swim meets. They take place two, three times a year and we want to try and build on that, but we’re talking about therapeutic use, kids in the summer, year-around swimming. This is a health asset to the community that is to be used year-round.”

Another thing that concerned Newby was the fact he had not heard any concrete numbers or dollar amounts about an aquatics center.

“I hear words like nice, and that’s a good spot. I’m not hearing numbers,” he noted. “Apparently, it sounds like you’ve got a very deep pocket, which I don’t think you have. I should think these decisions would be strongly driven by what you can afford.

“With this a big-ticket item, and as much time has passed, I’m shocked that there isn’t more detail. The natives are getting restless. Somebody needs to take charge of this project. I’ve heard these sites float around. Take them one at a time, if I may suggest, knock them out, narrow them down and get something built. Folks are getting a little skeptical.

“I would suggest tightening this thing up with your selection process, see what you can afford and just keep in mind it’s for the citizens of Russellville, not for the folks going down I-40. It’s going to be a wonderful asset, but they will find the pool. When we have a meet, we find pools. We’re all about it, but we’re very anxious.”

Newby went on to say he had no specific area in mind, but wanted committee members to go by “what the numbers say” since the areas to be studied further all have price tags.

Roberts said the committee took a step back to consider every option before it considered money or dollar amounts. Tripp said he hoped the committee “can have this on the road in the month of August.”

“I don’t care where you build it, let’s build it,” Harris said. “From the people that talk to me about it, I don’t think it makes a hoot where it’s built, quite frankly. They should be proud if it’s in our city limits.

As I visit various eating places in our community, I have been listening for talk for or against this project. It seems most of the talk is amongst the elite leaders of our community and the upper echelon holding power to spend our tax dollars for the benefit of what would seem a relatively small minority of our citizens. Why do some wish to get the ball rolling in such a hurry? Could it be because they want it to be at a point of construction that any change in political atmosphere in our city could not cause their pet project to be stopped? I think the voters should demand some hard numbers as to the potential users, the demographics of the users and the cost per reasonably anticipated user. Then we need to know how much this project will ultimately cost the tax payers and how the council intends to pay for this project. Who will build this anticipated complex, who will govern it, and who will answer to the public if the use does not meet their stated goals? Of course I suppose that the council can go into a semi unknown session (like for the raises they voted to give them selves) and approve any thing they want, right? Come on Mr./Mrs. Councilman and Mayor, give us the facts and this time give us all the facts...

There is no thumbs up/down, but I give you a big THUMBS UP, you calmly stated with elegance. Now lets wait and see and it seems you won't have to hold your breath very long, since they want to rush to get this done.